La Cieca
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
Some good guesses on our previous Regie quiz, cher public, but nobody hit the bullseye.
In honor of Martin Luther King day (belated), the New York Times hosts a discussion about the current Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. As a bold gesture toward diversity and inclusion, the keynote speakers range from Anthony Tommasini to Ben Brantley.
La Cieca’s spy (not pictured) reports that mediated negotiations between NYCO and the unions lasted about two days before reaching another impasse.
Our Own JJ liked everything about The Enchanted Island except The Enchanted Island. [New York Post]
The Queen of Soul and the Queen of “Laggiù nel Soledad” compare secret diva smirks of self-satisfaction.
Not one but two scintillating pieces from zealous, zazzy Zachary Woolfe today: a takedown of The Enchanted Island in the New York Observer, and some musing on life after NYCO in the New York Times.
Yet another of the institutions of parterre, the Regie Quiz, seems to have slipped away from us, temporarily at least, with the most recent puzzler over a month ago. And yet, with all that time to ponder, not a single member of the cher public identified the work correctly! It was La Damnation de Faust,…
Artist manager, media mogul, impresario… and now, with no other new worlds to conquer, Peter Gelb has achieved the pinnacle career goal to which only the most outrageously successful showbiz superstars can aspire: unpaid blogger for Huffington Post.
For this final evening of 2011, La Cieca invites you to a final chat. Starting at 6:30 PM, the cher public are invited to wade into The Enchanted Island, broadcast live from the Met.
“There comes a time in every woman’s life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne,” says La Cieca (pictured, left). As she prepares to bid 2011 adieu, your doyenne invites the cher public (artist’s conception, right) to join her in making a few resolutions for 2012.
At tonight’s Faust performance, two events of note: René Pape, upon his re-entrance after the Jewel Song, ad-libbed the spoken line “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” The performance, a broadcast, was the basso’s final one of this production.) After this moment of comedy, drama followed at the curtain calls.
After today’s Met dress rehearsal of The Enchanted Island, La Cieca’s spy (pictured) reports: “You would think that if they had the entire Baroque canon to mine, they would’ve chosen music that wasn’t slow, dull, and long. In Peter Gelb‘s opening remarks, he called it ‘the Met’s Baroque Coming Out party,’ which makes me think this entire endeavor was…
The stunning New Broadway Cast Recording
of Sondheim’s Follies is currently on sale on Amazon for an astonishing $4.99.
Guess who gets the showstopping “11 o’clock” spot? Why, none other than The Booty of the Baroque herself!
Here’s your off-topic and general interest thread for the holiday week.
According to a statement issued this morning, Opera Boston is ceasing operations as of January 1. [Boston.com]
Our Own JJ gets into the traditional holiday mood, journalist style, by cobbling together a listicle of last-minute shopping options. [New York Post]
“In an unlikely venue—a converted gymnasium off Avenue B—one of New York’s newest opera companies is keeping musical tradition alive.” [New York Post]
Here’s where the elite(?) will meet the week of December 18 for off-topic and general discussion.
UPDATE: A source at tonight’s Met Faust tells La Cieca that after Wendy White fell from a platform on her entrance into the garden scene, there was an intermission, then “…her cover [Theodora] Hanslowe went on from the ‘Eh quoi, toujours seule’ . . . . At second intermission now. Announcement just made that Wendy…
La Cieca has just heard that 800 tickets for the public dress rehearsal of the Met’s new Enchanted Island production will be distributed starting at noon tomorrow. The rehearsal will be Wednesday, December 28 at 10:30am, and naturally your doyenne encourages spies, agents, operatives, sleuths, snoops, spooks and spotters to attend this sneak preview and to…
Is this the new Mari Lyn?
At long last, Franco Zeffirelli opens up about his back-door route to the lap of luxury: “Ho dato il culo per fare carriera e mi è piaciuto.” [Attualisimo]
Deborah Orr (“one of Britain’s leading social and political commentators”) doesn’t know much about opera, but she does know she prefers opera to al fresco gay sex. At least I think that’s what she’s talking about in The Guardian.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
